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My name is Amy and I've been blogging on CDG since 2005. A mama of two living in Colorado, I'm passionate about attachment parenting, health and wellness, green living, essential oils, urban homesteading and unschooling/home schooling.

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Day: January 20, 2009

Today is the day Barack Obama becomes president of the United States of America. There is no doubt that there is a huge number of Americans who are overjoyed that today is finally here, but what about the rest of the world – are they excited too? Immediately after Obama was elected, I asked for feedback from my blogger and Twitter friends from around the world. I specifically wanted to know what their reaction was to the news that Obama would be president and what the overall reaction in their country was as well.

I intended to blog about those reactions back in November, but time got away from me (as it often does). Still, I wanted to share these sentiments and figured today, Inauguration Day, was the perfect time to do so.

We are of course American, but living overseas in England right now. We also traveled to France a few days after the election, and let me say that the Brits and Europeans are THRILLED! It is all over the news here … TV, print news, billboard signs. I love it! We are thrilled with the outcome and look forward to the next four years! We hope he makes some great changes, especially within the military!!!

Naomi (who was living in Canada at the time of the election, but is now in the UK) said:

Hubby and I watched all night and literally wept with joy. Cannot be happier. Not religious, but PRAISE GOD. Thinking of tattoos. “There is nothing false about hope” and “We are the ones we’ve been waiting for”. No joke.

Over the past few weeks our newspaper has been full of election news both from our local politicians (we go to the polls on Saturday to vote), and from the US. The US campaign has gone on for so long that I was getting tired of the hype! But I must say that the last two days I couldn’t help but turn my eyes to your country. I’ve been looking at a few blogs, Youtube vids of the candidates and listening to some commentators from our country and their view on the situation. I think (from my perspective) that it was time for change, but I don’t pretend to fully understand the issues that are at stake there.

Perhaps it is hard for US citizens to understand how the rest of the world views America. We see you as a nation of great strength and leadership, but also one whose citizens can be naively insular about the rest of the world. Because you have that position of strength, there is a need for strong, charismatic but uniting leadership. I don’t think the US has had that sort of leadership for a while. (When George Bush was re-elected almost everyone I had contact with here felt disbelief and amazement that he had got back in. Many people here did not agree with the way things panned out in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the continued presence of troops there.) Now with the world economy in a recession and the heightened awareness of peak oil/global warming there is a feeling that things need to change both here and globally.

I couldn’t help but be excited by the historic nature of this election. It’s a great moment for America and even for the rest of the world, to have a multi-racial person elected to Commander in chief. It gives hope that America is moving on from it’s past, and that anyone with guts/determination/leadership can be the head of the land regardless of their ethnicity.

But beyond that I do hope that Obama and his party will be able to take the US forward and serve his people so that even those who didn’t vote for him will be able to say it has been a change for good. I would also like to see some leadership and responsibility in areas such as reducing carbon emissions etc. I feel that the Bush administration has had their heads in the sand about this and I know that many people here think the war in Iraq has a lot to do with the US obsession with oil reserves there and less to do with the terror aspect…

I know that some of my American friends are disappointed and even frightened. I know they have been disturbed by publicity about soul-searching topics like abortion and terrorism but I have the sense that these have been scare mongering strategies. Again, I don’t pretend to fully understand the issues as they apply to the US but I would like to say that any leader or group of leaders needs the support of the people and the feedback from the people to be able to lead effectively. Just because Obama may not have been your choice, don’t give up on him but rather voice your concerns, make submissions. Given the diversity of the US it’s unlikely he will be able to satisfy everyone’s wants, but “needs” are more important anyway.

He (and his party) have a big job ahead. I doubt you will see results immediately but I wish you all the best.

And I don’t intend to sound offensive to individuals when I talk about the US as a whole. I know many of my US friends don’t have naively insular views about the world etc! But it’s a widely held perception here. We are a small country with little clout in comparison to yours and we like to think we are important too – and when many of your citizens think we’re part of Australia it gets just a tad annoying. At least LOTR has put us on the map! LOL!

I am so happy for you. I sat with Ara in my arms trying to keep her calm enough so I could hear what was being said. I had tears in my eye…and still have.

I have been talking to Dave (my husband) via email and both he and I are very disappointed that we do not have an Obama in our country…our candidates are like squabbling little toddlers in the sand pit….and we have our elections on Saturday and I still don’t know who to vote for.

We need an inspiring person like Obama…we need a leader to pull us out and give us a slap (not that I believe in hitting ;-)) …we need direction too…I can only hope that your Obama can pull our little country up as well.

I think the world has hopes and dreams and your poor Obama is going to be run haggard with all the cleanup. He has my support and my excitement even though I’m half a world away.

Hi, I’m from Brighton, UK and have followed the excitement both on the news and from the Twitter feeds I subscribe too.

This must be such an amazing time for you guys at the moment, Obama brings strength, positive change and finally gravitas to the White House. It feels like you have only just started opening the gift he is giving you.

Although it has been great watching it on the news, you could feel what was happening much more from your conversations on Twitter. It was great hearing about all of the personal stories across the US as the evening unfolded.

All we need in the UK now is someone as cool as Obama! I’m quite jealous – ours certainly doesn’t match up!

I am from Melbourne, Australia and also had tears in my eyes when Barack and his family got up on stage. Luckily my children were home from school and I could emphasise the importance of this moment in time to them.

Australia is a small country (by population) and the influence that we have on the wider world is very small. America however is the complete opposite and has the opportunity to lead the rest of the world with the decisions it makes. To me the last 7 or so years has seen this leadership going in the wrong direction, with countries like Australia and the UK following.

My hope is that with Obama, this truly will be a change in leadership that will help guide others in the right direction. The direction that cares about the environment, prefers diplomacy over aggression and looks after the disadvantaged.

I’m a Canadian and have to say that there was a lot of Obama-fever up here, too. He is an amazing speaker who spoke of change and his beliefs with passion. His openness to the world and international issues and, honestly, his intelligent approach to any issue that I heard him address brings hope for the world. I think Planning Queen summed up the role the US plays in the world very well. We sometimes talk about “sleeping next to the elephant” means you have to be vigilant when the elephant rolls over. There are many Canadians who are sleeping easier with the knowledge that Barack Obama will be in charge of the elephant.

I find it interesting to hear Obama referred to as a socialist since, for the most part, his policies are still more conservative than those of our Conservative Party. We’ve had a state medical system for decades and waiting lines at emergency rooms are no different than in the US and I have never needed to decide whether I could afford to take my child if she was sick, I paid nothing when I left the hospital after giving birth and never thought twice about attending each and every pre-natal appointment because they were all paid for. American men, women and children deserve these things. There are waits for some surgeries but we’re working on those.

If nothing else, Obama brought passion for the democratic process to millions who were feeling estranged from it, even people in other countries. That is an entirely good thing.

What happens in U.S. politics definitely affects the economic and political climates in Canada. So, it is with intense interest that I followed the returns on November 4. I stayed up late to catch the incredibly classy and inspiring acceptance speech. I’m just so giggly-thrilled that Barack Obama was elected to be the next President of the United States of America. I am floored that a man so controlled, intelligent, sincere, charismatic, young, black, liberal, inspiring, even-tempered and dignified could have been elected to that position. I honestly did not think that nearly 30 years of Republican grotesqueries would allow it. What has especially made me hopeful for the future was his acceptance speech, which was not gleeful, not self-congratulatory, nor particularly celebratory. He seemed to be telling his supporters, the U.S. as a whole and the rest of the world: you have done an important thing but it is not going to be the most important thing you do, that will be the hard work of making our world and country better. And, gosh darn, I believed him. It seemed to me that Obama set the entire tone of his administration in that speech: It’s not “my” government, he see to be saying, it’s your government, and he’s just there to guide the rebuilding, to be the lightning rod for the energies of the people of the U.S. It is the morning of a beautiful day in the U.S. and as a Canadian, I’m lucky to get to share the weather.

I read your blog about Obama’s win and thought I would share some thoughts on how it looked from my corner of the world in Ontario Canada. Many of my friends, family and neighbours were actively engaged in this election. For a long time we have admittedly looked to our Southern friends and family and shaken our heads in disbelief at the administration of your Country. When George Bush was elected 4 years ago we were very saddened that the American people voted once again for a man who spoke so often of hate, terror and fear. That individualism and power seemed more important than community and peace.

But all that changed with this election. I loved watching the excitement and energy of the American People in the lead up to the election. There was so much passion, energy and hope. Last night we spoke to our children at the dinner table about the election and explained how millions were going to vote that day just as we had over a month ago in our own Country. We told them that we hoped that the people would vote for a man named Obama because he believes in people and cares about the world (my children are 5 and 3 so we were keeping it simple). My daughter Ainsley beamed at me and said that she too hoped they voted for Obama because he seemed like a good man. Later my partner and I sat down and watched the coverage and were ecstatic when Obama was awarded victory. It was a proud day for Americans and we were and are so happy that the US voted for change. This seemed to be an election for the people and I think it demonstrated how good democracy can work when citizens are inspired to be engaged. It serves as an example for all of our Countries to expect more from our leaders and contenders for office. That we shouldn’t have to vote for the lesser evil or against someone but instead for someone and for values we believe in.

Everywhere I go today people in my city are talking about the election and the hope that has come with it. What it means for our own Country policy wise is less important to me right now than what it means for us as people who can believe in change. We elected a minority Conservative government here about a month ago who is reminiscent of George Bush and the Republicans. Many of us fear that our Country is headed in the wrong direction and that so many of the values we as Canadians hold dear will be undermined by our leaders. The election in the US reminds me that it is the people of a country who truly make a difference and that when we come together and put our energy into something we can accomplish great things. I carry this with me as I look forward to what our country needs and how I as a citizen can influence that change.

Jennie (from Canada) said:

I’ve spent that last two days watching lots of news about the American election. Canadians in general follow American politics since the actions of one of us influences the other.
I am so proud of the American people. Electing Barack Obama as your president is monumental. I feel lucky to have witnessed such a historic time on earth.
The election of Barack Obama has removed some of the veils of cynicism that I’ve acquired over the years concerning politics and the world’s ability to change. If the United States with all its history can choose an African-American man as their leader, then I believe that women can aspire to the top position of power.
I hope that the momentum of this time does not fade and that the issues that really matter are addressed under the new administration. Despite the troubling times we are living in, we have a small victory in a battle for unity. We are blessed.

We were relieved and excited that Barack Obama was elected president. I’m excited about the message of change that Barack Obama brings. I’m excited about the race barriers that have been broken down. I’m excited to see a Democrat back in the White House (it seems all too long since Clinton left). I was scared every day of what new policies, wars or other ideas George Bush might come up with to hurt his people or other people around the world and was worried that McCain/Palin (especially if McCain died) would be more of the same or worse. I’m glad I don’t need to be scared anymore.

While I’m extremely excited for my American friends about the positive domestic changes that Obama is sure to bring, I am unsure about where he stands on issues that will affect Canadians. I’m a big supporter of free trade and when he suggests it might be renegotiated, that worries me. And when people say it would be renegotiated to include stronger environmental provisions, I say “go ahead!” because the Americans have a worse record when it comes to protecting the environment than we do (but we’re not far behind). But I worry that once the doors are opened at all, that Obama might start applying restrictions to other parts of free trade that are beneficial.

I also wonder what Obama will keep and what he’ll get rid of with regards to greater restrictions that have been placed on foreigners. I used to travel to the US frequently for business, for family vacations, and for day shopping trips. Now I don’t anymore. I’m scared and I’m annoyed. I used to get a smile and a few friendly questions at the border (where are you from, where are you going, how long are you staying, have a great trip!). Now I get grilled to the nth degree by a scowling border guard that seems to assume that each person trying to cross the border wants to do some sort of harm to the United States (no, really, I just want to shop and vacation….don’t you want my dollars…guess not). Also, there is a law/policy brought in under Bush that indicates that foreigners that are pulled over by the police for any reason can get thrown into jail immediately. A Canadian woman that turned right somewhere where it wasn’t allowed ended up spending the night in jail. Even the possibility of that happening, especially as a mom that often travels with my small children and that does not want to be seperated from them under any circumstance, makes me scared enough to not go to the United States. What happens if I miss a sign and make an illegal turn by mistake?

All that said, I’m very excited for Americans. But I’m anxiously and apprehensively waiting to see how Obama’s attitude and policies towards foreigners (especially close allies) will be different than his predecessor. Until then, I’ll be vacationing in Cuba and shopping in Canada.

The success of Barack Obama’s Presidential campaign is monumental in its importance, not just to the United States of America, but to Canada and the world. He represents change, hope, and tolerance. He represents black people and white people. He’s educated, well-spoken, quiet, graceful, charismatic, and inspiring.

Imagine: there are people alive today who, years ago, couldn’t vote because of the colour of their skin. Yesterday, they were allowed to vote – and one of the people they could vote for was BLACK! Not only did a black man RUN for President, he WON! This is huge. Now, every generation that follows will grow up learning about the first black American President and how he changed the world.

Now, Obama has a tough job ahead. He inherits a huge deficit, two wars, and countless other problems. Add to that the promises he has made for change, and you have a potential for heartbreak and disappointment if he fails to do what he has said he will. I do not envy his job at this point, but I hope he realizes the importance of keeping his word and always doing the best he can, to lead the most powerful country in the world with fairness and humility while being decisive, intelligent, and innovative. Major changes to environmental policy are required, immediately, and I think he realizes that. Green collar job creation will be instrumental in taking steps to halt the progression of environmental destruction. Obama, I think, understands that major change must take place, and NOW, in order to avoid going past the point of no return.

His first order of business, I think, will be to try to fix the economy, followed by a decision to withdraw troops from Iraq, deal with Afghanistan, and all the while making policy on environmental decisions. Tough job.

Mr Obama, I wish you the best. Congratulations and good luck!

If after all of that, you still need convincing that the world is excited to see Barack Obama as the new president of the United States, check out this link to World leaders’ quotes on Obama election win. Yes, this is much bigger than the United States. It impacts the entire world.

Today my kids and I will be sporting our Obama t-shirts while we witness history and watch the inauguration on TV with the rest of the world. I can’t help but be filled with pride and gratitude as I think of all of the work so many people did to get us here today and also filled with hope as I look to the future.